Improvement in method of producing calcium-lights



, dans sans @met dhljiirc.

in Athe ordinary way;v and CHARLES 4L. cooMBs, or WASINGTON, DISTRICT or cbLUMRrA, AND JOHN A. RAS- SRTT, or SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORSTO JOSEPH J. cooMBS, or WASH- INGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

.Letters Patent No. 93,178datcd August 3,1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN IMETEOD OF PROD'UCING- CALCIUM-LIGHTS.

The Schedizle referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES L. CooMns, of Washington city, in the District of Columbia, and JOHN A. BASSETT, of Salem, in4 the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in the Method of Producing Calcium-Light; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,

' clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon. t y

Our invention is peculiarly adapted to use on railway-locomotives, for head-lights, and to other usesin which a strong' light is desired, and where the use of gases, to produce a calcium-light in the ordinary way, is impracticable or inconvenient.

By means of our invention, we amcnab'ied to produce a powerfulcalcium-light, without the uscof any previously-generated gas, and our apparatus occupies so little space that it may be camed on a locomotive, without the least inconvenience.

Instead of the hydrogen-gas ordinarily 'used in producing the calcium-light, we use light hydrocarbonspirits, and we use, as a substitute for oxygen, atmos: plier-ic air, which, to produce the best eiects, should be heated.

' In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional view of our apparatus; and Figure 2 is asimilar view of the same, in a modified form. l

. in fig. 1, terminating just above and iu close proximity lto the 'pipe a. l

In' the modification -sbowuiu fig. 2, the pipe C and. pipe a both enter a nozzle, D, the pipe C extending nearly tothe point of said nozzle, but the; 'pipe a ter# minating some distance back, as 'shovsninithe draw-l In' iig 1,'e is, a-c'age or basket,l of platinum wire, held iu l g I lime, f, such as is used to produce the calcium-light e', in fig. 2, is a tube, for holding the lime-with a rack and ratchet, for raising and depressing it.'4

The pipe C, before reaching the lantern, may be made to pass through 'the fire-box or the locomotive, to heat the air, or the' same may bc heated in any v other suitable way.l

In the pipes a and C are two cocks, one in cach, to regulate the blast and the iiow of hydrocarbon-spirits. These cocks may be placed as shown at a and c', fig. 1, or at any other convenient points in said ipes. p' The blast may becrcated by any known blowingapparatus, to be operated by the engine or otherwise.

A reservoir, to contain suicient compressed air to create the necessary blast when tbe engine or other motive-power is not operating, maybe added, and said reservoir may be supplied with air by a hand-pump if necessary.

. The operation is as follows :V

O n turning the cocks'a' and c' so as to open them,

and starting the blast, -tl 1e current of lair escapingfrom the end of pipe C, crcatespa vacuum, or partial vacuum, in the pipe a, which causes the naphtha or hydrocarbon-spirit to rise in the pipe a, to supply thc place of the exhaustedair, and to be thus drawn out of the. open'upper end-of said pipe a, where it meets the air-blast, and is immediately vaporized or reducedto a fine spray, and driven on to the lime, where it is consumed, producing a light similar'n eiiect to-the calcium-light produced in the ordinary way, bythe consumption of gases. I j

Iffplatnum wire be nsed'to hold the lime, it.will be unnecessary to apply any lire to start the light, for

the mixed vapor and air will ignite immediately-on touching the wire; but if 'the lime be otherwise supported, the mixture may be. ignited by a taper.

The intense heat of the burning mixture of air and 'vapor will quickly render the lime incandescent, and the-carbon is all consumed.

The current of lairvaud iiow of the hydrocarbonspirits being once properly adjusted, byjmeans of the .cocks nl .and c', the lanternnvill require no further care, except'to replenish the hydrocarbon wbenconl sumed.

Itis .manifest that our invention consists, essen,

Ytialiy, in the useof hydrocail'on-spirits, (or` any ruilt-` ciently volatile liquid hydrocarbon applied in the formi of vapor or fine spray upon the lime, or any equivalentthereof, in stead of the gases heretofore usci. .to produce the' calcium-light. Hence, werde not instance, conducting the hydrocarbon-spirits down from a reservoir above thc burner, instead of drawing it 'up'frm below. Nordowe limit .ourselves to the use of saidmixturc of hydrocarbon-spirits and air,

when blown upo'andburned in contact with lime,

limit ourselvesA to the particular apparatus herein 'described v'for 'carrying our invention into eii`ect,tbe same being' susceptible of many modifications; as, for

:is Maher substances may be ubstmted for the lxa; `mixtures in contact with the lime, but

or its equivalent What we claim asour nvenion, .and desire to secure sqbstantall'y as set forth and de bed In witness whereof, .we have` subscribed our name,

by Lettematet ist the'foregong apecicationp The metho o, producing-a. strong and brilliant '13.11.l OOOMBS. light, by blowing a mixture of atmospheric air and Witnesaes: 'JOHN A. BASSETT. hydroman-bomsgir\.sf.a,v (an the vaporhere) uponfa. Jos. L. 000m,

piene of Burgum'i gr its equivalent, and burning-said JUSTIN HINDg. 

